Sunken
by xXxNaru-LovexXx
Summary: Sometimes, sacrifices need to be made. But can Naru and Mai's relationship go that far when SPR gets a case in Canada? Will sparks fly? Will everyone make it out alive? Rated T for mild language, gore and romance.
1. Prologue

Chapter 1: Prologue

Mai was walking home from school, waving goodbye to Michiru and Keiko, who shouted things from behind her, such as "Have a good summer!" and "Say hi to Kazuya for us!"

She walked among the cherry blossoms, some falling along In her wake, dancing to the melody from a thousand blades of grass. Mai bounced with every step, relieved that it was finally summer vacation, but dazed at the thought of work. "Aurgh!" She shouted to herself. "I'm so tired after helping out the Yoshimi family from the last case…but yet again…" She paused, stopping to think of Naru, a finger to her mouth.

The leather shoes, black trousers, black dress shirt, black tie (actually it's purple but whatever ) black trench coat – black ,black ,black. But he had purple and indigo-ish eyes and ink-like hair, seemingly so soft – but Mai had never touched it. How should she know?

Mai sighed. She breathed in the smell of dust and green tea as she walked upon the threshold of her apartment. _Oh yeah…_ She thought. _I haven't dusted this place in ages!_ She placed her keys on the hook by the door and rummaged through her cleaning supplies cupboard to find a feather duster. Gripping it firmly, she swiped away the dust from her home.

Minutes later, she finished, and breathed deeply. She tiptoed through the livingroom to her small kitchen – the smell of tea was common here. Mai had become so accustomed to Naru's tea-drinking addiction that she often boiled it at her apartment, realized he wasn't there and downed the entire pot.

…RING!

RING!

Mai crossed the kitchen in 4 strides and into the larger livingroom. She sat on her suitan sofa, admiring the velvet, and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello again, Mai."

Mai let a blush creep up her neck. Nobody could ever forget that cool yet undeniably sexy voice. It was Naru, her egotistic, narcissistic, swollen-headed holier-than-thou boss, the 17-year-old manager of Shibuya Psychic Research, or SPR for short.

"Hey Naru! What's up?" Mai shouted into the phone, only to be greeted by silence on the other end, then, of course, an insult.

"No need to yell, Mai. I'm right here." He paused. "Anyway, I got an offer for a new case and I was wondering if you wanted to join me." The teen let a large smirk play across his face. "After all, you have to anyway…"

Mai giggled at his request. "Sure! What time do you want me at the office?"

"In a few minutes, if you can manage."

Mai gathered her things before she even replied. She picked up the phone, told her boss she'd be there soon, and hung up.

She put on her shoes, and skipped outside, down the street and into the doorway of SPR minutes later. Before she could knock, the door opened, revealing a disgruntled Naru.

"You're late."

"I know!"

"I want tea."

Mai rolled her eyes at Naru, brushing his shoulder playfully as she passed him to make some. Naru smiled the smallest smile in the world when she couldn't see. No matter how many times he had lied to himself, Naru loved having her around. He loved _her. No, Noll. It's just science. Look at it this way – you don't love her – you just love her tea. Right? ….Right, Noll?_

Mai started humming a song to herself as she stirred the teabag. Naru strolled into the kitchen, the scent and sound equally beautiful.

"What song is that?" The teen questioned.

"It's a song my mother used to sing to me as a child, when I couldn't sleep." Mai started. "Sometimes I'd be bothered with insomnia, and she could just tell." The brunette dipped her head to smell the tea she had prepared. "Mmmm…" She sighed, pouring the tea into Naru's cup with a gold and blue band, and then one for herself.

Naru took his teacup, pacing towards the office. He stopped at the doorway, resting his right hand on the frame. He turned around to face Mai, and smiled brilliantly.

"Thank you."

Naru left the room, leaving a blushing Mai to ponder upon her thoughts. _Oh my god…He just _thanked _me!_ She looked up. Naru had stopped walking, his face partially showing from above his left shoulder. "Don't just stand there, dummy. We have a case to work with."

Mai snapped out of her happy trance, begrudgingly following her boss into his office, teacup in hand. The blue-haired boy took out his black, leather-bound book from inside his office desk, jotting down some notes. Mai looked at him, anger seizing her heart.

"Why do your compliments and thank-you's ALWAYS follow with a bad thing, or contain one?! And anyway, _how many times have I heard that line from you?!_"

Naru stopped turning pages ; he gripped one tighter than before, his lips thinned in concentration – or bitter anger at himself. Mai groaned once more and sat down in front of him, legs crossed tightly in frustration. _This better be good, Naru…_

Naru turned the pages again, this time placing a pointed finger on a paragraph, ushering Mai to read the handwritten entry's title.

The girl cocked her head to the side. "The title says 'Haunting at Sea: The Legend of Majin.'" She stopped to think. "Doesn't Majin mean Devil?"

"Yes. The people who've witnessed the spirit nicknamed it this because of its brutality. I don't believe it's an actual demon or devil." Naru paused. "What do you think, Mai? The cruise manager wants the spirit driven out before he can start the company for his cruise ship up again. Should we take the case?"

The said girl played with her auburn hair. "I don't know, Naru. It sounds strange. However, it does sound like a cool case." Her caramel eyes snapped to the window, then directly at Naru, muttering to herself. "Are we going on a vacation..?"

"Well, the boat's not in Japan, so… you could call it that." He watched as Mai punched the air in happiness.

Her mood stayed relatively the same as she asked Naru if she should call up the irregulars.

"Sure." He breathed. "Tell them to be here at five."

OKAY! My very first fanfic going well so far. I`ll be posting another on Thursday, hopefully. I can`t on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. (too bad :`( ) Hope you all liked the first segment – and remember to leave a review on how you thought it was!

-xXxNaru-LovexXx


	2. Canadian Dream

**OKAY GUYS! This is the second installment of the fanfiction here. And I promise you – PROMSE – that I will NOT discontinue it until it is done. I'm thinking about making some sparks fly between the characters in a few chapters (especially Naru and Mai – I want the man to SUFFER in his emotions) because I already have this one and chapter 3 hand-written out. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Canadian Dreams

Mai strolled to the telephone, a smile etched into her face. Her hand on the phone, she tried to remember the numbers of her friends. A question surfacing to her mind, she turned her petite frame to face Naru.

"Where are we going anyway?" The brunette asked.

"Canada." Naru replied. "The so-called 'Land of the Free.'"

"Alright then!"

Mai thought of a number she had known by heart. Punching the numbers enthusiastically with an index finger, the phone rang three times before someone picked up.

"Hello?" The baritone voice on the other end answered the phone.

"Hey, Monk!" Mai sang.

"Oh hey, Little Lady! What's up?"

The said brunette played with her hair, thinking of the case details. "Naru's taking us all to Canada for a new case!" Mai said. "It's on a ship somewhere."

"What's it about?" Monk asked, a questioning tone edging his normally cheerful one.

"Naru said people were being attacked by a particularly violent spirit, and that the cruise manager wants whatever it is driven out before he starts up his cruise business on the ship again."

"Well, this definitely sounds interesting." Monk answered. "I'll be over at..?"

"Five."

"Okay then. Bye, Mai!" The phone clicked, and a buzzer sounded. Mai hung up the phone back on its base.

"Next up, Ayako." She whispered to herself. Naru clicked his pen, and wrote more information in his black book that he had so often consulted.

Mai pressed the numbers, and waited for a familiar voice to answer her call.

The minute hand on the clock was reaching the :50 mark (4:50) when creaking and footsteps could be heard outside the office.

"W-what was that?" Mai sat up in her chair faster than a bullet, her voice quivering with fear.

"It's people, Mai. You're going to hear a lot of them in your lifetime." Naru shot back, a wide grin dancing on his elegant face.

At that moment, Monk, Ayako, John, Masako and Yasu walked into the office.

"Where's Lin?" Mai questioned, craning her neck to see any trace of the unnaturally tall man.

Another door, beside the one leading to Naru's private office room, opened, showing Lin, who wore headphones and carried his laptop. He chuckled, walking into the room with the rest and closing the door quietly behind him.

"Well, that answers every question I had about you." Mai laughed.

"Like what?" Slight curiosity enlightened the man's pointed face.

"For example, now I know that you probably watch-"

A series of knocks banged at the front door. Naru strode across the room, saying something that sounded like "that's for me." Upon opening, there stood an airport courier who carried eight passports, a box of tea and plane tickets to Canada – first class.

"Why do you think he has tea?" Mai whispered questioningly to Bou-san.

"He probably ordered some from a gift shop and demanded it be delivered to him!" The man laughed quietly, trying to be careful not to catch Naru's eye.

"Hai." The man spoke. "Have a wonderful trip, all of you."

"Thank you." Naru responded. This caused a mingle of laughter and shock, that is, until Naru turned around.

"Mind filling me in on what's so funny?"

Naru sent everyone on their way to pack things up for the trip. Mai's turquoise skirt flowed freely behind her as she raced around her room, gathering necessities for her packed only what she needed – clothing, hygiene products, a bathingsuit (just in case they have pools at the hotel) and tea, just in case Naru forgot to bring any with him – not that that's likely. She packed two boxes – one of green tea and one of orange pekoe.

Mai heard a car door slam and footsteps outside the apartment. Was somebody visiting her? Maybe it was Naru…

She put on her shoes and walked casually outside. She was greeted by Monk and Yasu.

"Ready to go?" The younger of the two men waved.

"Just wait a minute, I left my bag inside!" Mai rushed back into her apartment, snatching the floral dufflebag off of her bed and ran back outside to Lin's and Ayako's cars. People were gathered outside – John, Masako and Ayako were waiting inside a white car for Monk, along with Naru and Lin, who waited for Yasu and Mai in the midnight-black van. Lin made a gesture for the two teens to hurry, and they hopped in, driving with Ayako to the airport.

"First Class!" Mai sang as she sunk into her cushy plane chair. Everyone were in groups of two – Monk and Ayako, John and Masako, Yasu and Lin, and, of course, Mai had to sit with Naru.

He didn't seem displeased, however.

In fact, her boss looked _triumphant_ to be sitting with her. On the other hand, Yasu looked angry at himself.

Every seat on the plane was filled with chattering people who told stories and jokes. There was only one row that hadn't spoken a word the entire flight so far.

The row that Naru and Mai occupied.

Neither party decided to break the awkward silence that fell upon them – unitl Mai became drowsy. She felt exhausted. Her eyes closed every few seconds, drifting in and out of consciousness until sleep finally claimed her.

The familiar dreamscape of black surrounded Mai. Green, blue and white orbs floated lazily around her, making no sound whatsoever.

A shift of movement; now a dark figure walking in the darkness toward Mai, becoming more and more familiar as it came closer. Trousers, trench-coat, inky-blue hair and a beautiful smile.

_Dream Naru…_

He came closer and brighter still with every step he took. Finally, he stood a foot away from the brunette, a smile still glowing on his face. "Do you know what you're up against?" His cool voice rang into the nothingness. He had stopped smiling now – instead, he looked concerned.

"'Majin', apparently." Mai responded. The man in front of her had a changed expression – sorrow and sullenness replaced his concern. He bent down to Mai's eye level, gently placing a pale hand on each of her shoulders. Mai turned raspberry pink.

"Just be extremely careful, whatever you do." He smiled again. "Can you at least promise me this?"

Mai looked into his indigo eyes that stared at her, unblinking. "Yes, Naru. I promise…"

He smiled new, brighter than mai had ever seen. "Just be safe…please…"

The chatter on the plane died down now. Most heads, if not all, stopped to stare at Mai, who slept with her head resting on Naru's black-clad left shoulder. The man looked irritable – not because his personal space had been violated, but because Mai had _still_ been asleep, even as the plane had been landing. Masako leaned in from behind, ruining the moment.

"Naru, I know a way to wake her up." The medium interrupted, a devious smile painted onto her doll-like features.

The 17-year-old didn't look back at her. "Go for it."

Masako leaned over Mai, closer and closer until her mouth was close enough for her to hear. "Mai! Wake up! Naru wants to _kiss_ you!"

Mai shot up, almost out of her seat, hitting the left side of Naru's head with hers. "What? What's going on?" She clutched her head, looking around until her caramel gaze met Naru's indigo one, who, holding his head, stared at her in defiance and false anger, and to Masako, who giggled at her embarassment.

"Not funny!" Mai hissed, looking down at her feet in shame, face flushed bloodred. _I thought she actually meant it…_

Naru chortled; it sounded like a chuckle mixed with a dying bear. His hand still covering his throbbing head, he looked down at Mai.

Her venomous gaze burned into his eyelids. "Are you _laughing _at me?!"

Naru didn't respond, but continued to stare at her, his eyes filled with an emotion she had never seen him wear. Was it pity? Sadness? Regret?

The plane gave a slight lurch as the pilot spoke through the intercom. "This is your captain speaking, we have landed at the Pearson International Airport. Please undo your seatbelts when the plane stops completely and file out in an orderly fashion.

Mai had felt surprised that she could even understand his English. The plane stopped, everyone grabbed their things and stepped into the airport gates. After a strange baggage check (Lin was asked about the hitogata, and Monk with the Vadjra), all of SPR were driving away to a hotel somewhere over the rainbow (Kingston, ON) in a rental car.

At the hotel's room section, Lin stopped in front of everyone. "We will share rooms like we did seats on the plane. Get a lot of sleep, and we'll all meet back here at 9:00 AM tomorrow. Goodnight." He bowed, opening the room door closest to him and stepping in as Yasu followed. John and Masako nodded at eachother, slightly abashed but cheerful, and walked into another room together. Same went for Monk and Ayako.

Mai looked over at naru, who breathed deeply and opened the only door left. He lifted an open hand to show Mai inside the doorway. As she walked in, she was greeted by the finest hotel room she had ever seen.

"Wow!" She breathed, eyeing the two queen-sized, red velvet beds, floor-to-ceiling windows, television & DVD set and large bathroom. "You really figured this out, didn't you, Naru?"

The teen let a smirk decorate his stoic face. "Yeah. I guess I did."

He sat down on the bed closest to the door, crossing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. Mai stared over at him, careful not to catch his attention as she tried to imagine the pale chest that lay beneath his dark blouse. Mentally slapping herself, she left to have a shower and change.

She stood In the shower, letting the water run over her.

Finally, she stood in Canada.


	3. The 'Fun' Begins

Chapter 3: The Fun Begins…

Mai picked up the shampoo bottle when a brisk knock rapped at the bathroom door. "Yeah?"

"I, hnnnn …. I need to use the restroom for a minute, Mai." Naru's voice resounded from behind the door.

"Ummm …sure?" Mai responded, a bit nervously and guarded – but delighted.

The door creaked open quickly, then footsteps and a quiet slam. A strange sound similar to rushing water was barely audible inside the bathtub, where Mai stood, half-covering herself in case someone tried to open the shower curtain. But Naru wouldn't do that…

…Right?

Another thought crossed her mind. It was a topic of conversation. "So…" Mai started. "That's where all your tea goes?"

The sound stopped moments later and a belt clicked. Naru sighed. "Nice small talk, Mai." He went over to the sink to wash his hands, and turned on the water. _Oh god! I forgot about the shower running!_

Mai jumped backwards, shouting. "OW! What the hell, Naru?!" The teen automatically turned the tap off, pinching a finger to the bridge of his nose in anger at himself, backing away from the sink. He stared for a few moments at Mai as her figure turned off the water and ran the tap again. Shaking his own head in disgust at his thoughts of this, Naru strode out of the room, slamming the door louder this time.

"Geez! Don't apologize, then!" Mai whispered to herself. She finished washing, changed into her floral, pink pyjamas and stepped out of the bathroom.

She was greeted by silence – the sound of Naru reading a book about ghosts. He sat on his bed, his legs crossed tartly as he lay elegantly on the furniture. As he saw Mai in his peripheral vision, he made a strangled sound and cleared his throat as if nothing happened five minutes ago, continuing to read.

Mai noticed, while he was doing this, Naru's facial expression. His eyebrows weren't furrowed or cocked like they normally were – instead, they were relaxed, as if he was sleeping. His mouth wasn't curled into a smirk, either. It relaxed, his lips pressed gently together, not thinned or pursed as usual. _So…this is what he looks like when he likes something. _Mai thought about the first look he ever gave her, and the several after that one. _Well, he definitely doesn't like me._

Mai stopped thinking about this when Naru turned his attention to her. "So, Naru …we're starting the investigation tomorrow morning?

" "Yes. Get plenty of rest." He murmured, clearly tired but refusing to sleep because he was caught up in the middle of a chapter.

_Well, I can't say he isn't worried about me..._ Mai slumped into her bed. Naru walked past her to the bathroom, turning off the lights as he opened the door.

"Goodnight, Naru."

The teen stopped in his tracks at the door, silent for a moment. He turned his head slowly to face her. "Goodnight, Mai."

Opening the bathroom door, he disappeared from sight. Mai rolled over in the hotel bed, still tired, even after that plane ride nap she had 'enjoyed' so much. She closed her chocolate brown eyes, trying to sleep. She heard the shower start, and fell asleep to the sound.

The bathroom door opened, and Naru walked out, closing it ever so gently behind himself. He tiptoed across the elegant hotel room, slowing door (if it was possible) even more as he reached Mai's bed. His hand rested gently on the velvet duvet, gliding silently with him as he walked.

The girl looked so relaxed when she slept, her chest heaving slowly with every breath she took. Naru smiled, and walked soundlessly, sitting on his bed for a moment as to watch the girl. He thought about her before he closed his eyes and slept, Mai being the image that danced across his eyes.

That night, he dreamt –shamelessly – of Mai.

SPR met outside early next morning, packing Lin and Naru's equipment into the rental van and drove to HMCS Ontario to see the location of their new 'base.'

As they stepped out of the car, the team were greeted by sapphire waters and boat docks. Mai pointed out some of the ships and their names, like Victor, Alpha, Sierra and Echo. Naru looked around, looking as if he had not even the slightest impressive sight before him. Monk chatted loudly with Ayako, who occasionally hit him in the back of the head if he said something wrong or inappropriate.

"Hello, everyone." A tall man emerged from behind a lifejacket shack on the docks. "My name is David Campbell, and I run the ships on this fine harbour. Now – what can I do for you all today?"

Mai froze where she stood, utterly bewildered by what the man had said. _Okay, I understood the pilot, but not this guy. There's no chance in hell that I will ever understand any more English than I already do now. _

Naru walked up to the man, speaking fluent English like he was from Canada. "Hello, sir. We're SPR, the paranormal research team you called in about the ship." His cool voice sounded calm and sharp, like he'd practised the language often.

"Ah, yes! You're Shibuya Psychic Research! Please, follow me to the ship." David ushered the team to another part of the harbour at the left, where the largest ship Mai had ever seen bobbed in on the waves, tied to the dock.

"Wow!" Mai exclaimed, almost speechless. Monk nodded his head, as well as John. Masako covered her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono in awe, and Ayako sat next to Lin, looking very impressed at not only the ship but herself as well. Lin edged slowly away from the woman, feeling abashed towards Ayako but amazed at the same time because of the massive vessel.

"Please, come inside. But, be forewarned. I've never set foot in this place since the stories started spreading until you all came here. " He shuddered and sighed a little.

Mai walked behind Naru and Lin onto the ship, followed by the rest of the team. As they stepped inside, an awful scent burned Mai's small nose. Masako walked inside, reproachfully and carefully placing each foot in front of the other as if in fear of something coming out of the floor at her.

"What is it, Miss Hara-san?" Naru asked quietly, noticing her change in behaviour.

"I…I smell something. It's terrible…and…" She stopped, staring at the back wall behind all of them.

Mai turned around quickly to see what it was. Nothing was there. She whipped around again to hear the rest as Masako's mouth moved as if to say something.

"It's – it's here!" The medium shouted, sinking to the floor in fear.

"What's here?" Ayako and Mai exclaimed in synchronization, fearing for the same thing as Masako – except the fact that neither of them knew exactly what it was. Masako walked aimlessly, wandering around the ship until she found a set of stairs that led to a lower level.

"No, miss! Please don't go down there! That's where it lives!" David yelled out in terror for the medium. Still, she kept wandering until she found another set of stairs.

The team kept descending until Masako found what she was 'looking for. The girl pushed an iron door, creaking heavily as it edged open.

The room inside was nothing SPR had ever seen or experienced.

In the middle was a circle with a six-pronged star, lined with candles at each vertex. The floor, walls and even the ceiling were covered in something dark, and it made every hair on Mai's body stand on edge. The smell was stronger now in this room, and Mai knew – from experience – exactly what it was.

Blood.

And lots of it.

David lit a match, pulling a lantern out of a trunk in the hallway. He lit the lantern, which cast an ominous glow around the room.

Red stains were everywhere – puddles, streaks, and skid-marks. Masako covered her mouth again. She pointed a pale index finger at the wall facing the iron door.

Another circle, smeared with chalk and blood lined the wall. In the middle stood sentry a spirit, black as night.

It held up an arm; inside its hand, held by the hair, was the head of a decapitated child, their unmoving body lying on the ground below it.

**ALL RIGHT THEN! Third chapter done! I can't wait for the next chapter – you're going to kill me for it and I just know it. Like the ending? I didn't expect to use it just yet – but I didn't have it ALL planned out yet… Anyway, leave a review on how you thought it was, and have a great week. I'll most likely be posting again tomorrow – I don't know. It all depends on how much time I get on the computer. I use the ones at the library in town, so… yeah. Have a save and happy end-of-the-week. Just not the weekend yet. I'll have chapter 4 by Sunday. **

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	4. Unexpected

Chapter 4: Unexpected…

All of SPR screamed in horror at the sight. Blood dripped from the severed neck as Masako fell to the floor, fainting instantaneously. Monk caught her just before her head hit the floor.

Naru stood where he did when he first walked into the room. His eyes were wider than Mai had ever seen them. Lin stood beside him, his right hand in a strange position so that he could whistle for his shiki if anything went wrong.

The spirit stared at every single one of them as if it could see straight through them – except for Mai. It glided down over to her, the child's head in hand like a trophy. The thing became face-to-face with her, grinning broadly and sadistically as it stared Mai down. The girl screamed.

The sound seemed to be a trigger; the spirit dropped the head of the child by their body, throwing it away like it was some sort of a useless paper. The dark mass widened its eyes, grabbing her arms so that she couldn't run away. Mai's eyes seemed to be glued open. They were unable to close or blink. The frightened teen could only stare at what surely was to be her death in a matter of seconds. It opened its mouth, almost as if threatening to swallow the girl.

Lin whistled – five creatures bathed in white lights swarmed the entity, rendering it unable to move or escape. They attacked the spirit with all of their strength, passing through it all at once. The five shiki dashed through the midsection of it before Lin snapped his fingers, allowing them to retreat back into the safety of his hands. Mai watched as the spirit dissipated into a pile of ash.

The rest of SPR all looked over at Mai, who collapsed to the ground in fright, crying. The atmosphere in the room lightened slightly now that the entity was gone. She collapsed to the hard floor, terrible sobs wracking her petite body. Ayako and Monk came running toward Mai to comfort her, Ayako wrapping her arms around her torso and head, rocking her back and forth like a mother to her child. Monk whispered words of encouragement to her.

Naru, Lin, John, Yasu and Masako stayed where they were, pity clouding all five pairs of eyes.

Even Naru's.

Masako looked over at the chalk circle and blood around the room. She left the group ,swiftly and silently, to sit beside the deceased child. Masako pressed her hands together and chanted a prayer for the poor boy.

Ayako and Monk abandoned their positions beside Mai, and left to join Lin and Naru. Masako finished her sutra, and walked over to the rest of the people in the room. David stood at the door, seemingly ready to leave at any moment if someone asked him to.

Mai sped up to walk near the rest of them in the room as they decided to leave for the first level.

And Mai couldn't have agreed more.

She would have loved to get out of this place as fast as possible. However, it was her job to stay and help conduct an exorcism on the spirit.

No. This wasn't a spirit. It was more of a demon. _Now that I think about it, I can understand why people would've called it Majin…_

Nine pairs of feet ran in fear away from the room, slamming the heavy iron door behind them. Mai stopped to turn back only out of morbid curiosity, not noticing that no one else did. She stared into the unnaturally dark pit that was the corridor, a shiver running up her spine when she saw something pale that seemed to be the spirit of the child. She swivelled around again, realizing that no one else was there, and kept running where she heard the bangs of footsteps that belonged to the others.

SPR reached the first floor again. Ayako sat down on the cold, hard floor with Masako and Yasu. The rest of them stood, staring at the stairs that led downward. _I'm never going back down there again._ Mai's thoughts raced as fast as her heart, beating frantically as if it were trying to escape her small chest.

Naru turned around, facing the rest of the group, a nervous glint in both of his indigo eyes. "We need to exorcise this ship as soon as possible. Whatever's down there isn't going to treat us kindly." He looked… angry. Sad. He felt for the little boy.

At his words, the ship gave a sudden lurch, followed by what sounded like bolts clanking and breaking. A terrible screeching sound, like metal rubbing against a pot rang into the dense air of the boat. Mai covered her ears and stared wildly around the room like a deer in headlights. Naru stepped a pace closer to her –protectively - without realizing it. Masako's face turned blood-red at the sight, even though she hugged John for all it was worth. Monk held Ayako tightly, and Lin stood sentry by the stairwell, an arm in front of Yasu as if he wanted the teen to go no further down if something happened. The metal under their feet warped, seemingly pulsating like skin. Mai edged a little closer to Naru, who seemed not to mind.

The sound stopped. The metal froze to the temperature of ice-cold once more as the members of the team went back to their professional selves.

Naru still stayed close to Mai, however.

Lin strode over to meet David and speak (without Mai understanding a word). The Canadian man shook his head nervously, and looked around, clearly searching for something. He pointed over to a staircase that led up. Lin nodded and ushered the rest of SPR upstairs onto the cruise deck.

"What was that room for, anyway?" Mai questioned. "I mean – this _is_ a cruise ship, and… I've never seen a room like **THAT **in those commercials."

Naru shook his head slightly at the girl's question. "That was probably the boiler room. We found a room next to it on the way out that had fuel tanks and coal piles. There was also one to the left. You would've noticed it if you had been paying any real attention instead of thinking about your TV." The teen let a smirk stretch over his countenance.

_Damnit! Why does he have to be so handsome? Why can't I just get mad at him and not feel bad after?!_

"You are SO mean!" Mai shouted at him. "Why do you hate me so much?!"

Naru's eyes hardened and his head dropped slightly.

_No…_

_Did I just… offend him?_

The teen grabbed Mai's right shoulder with little force as SPR trudged upstairs, Naru and Mai following, last out of all of them. Naru spotted a small cabin on the deck, and brought her into the room, slamming the door behind him with brutal meaning.

_Oh no._

He pinned her to the wall closest to the door – not gently - but not as if he meant to hurt her. The teen looked at Mai, his eyes blazing with anger and sadness. The ship shook again, this time more violently, screws actually popping out of place. Mai heard a rope snap – one out of the four that held the ship to the dock.

_The ship's convulsions are Naru's doing..?_

He grabbed Mai by the shoulders, staring at her intensely as if his gaze would burn her face off if he concentrated too much. He looked into her chocolate eyes, detecting a hint of fear. He let loose his grip on her shoulder when he noticed. She didn't seem to be afraid of the spirit anymore. She started to quietly sob, her chest bouncing every few seconds.

_Mai is afraid of me._

Naru bent down on his knee, locking his hands on her shoulders gently. "You honestly think I hate you?"

The girl fell silent, her breast still heaving.

Naru's gaze became cold as her stared at the floor. "Never pass judgement on someone until you have walked in their shoes, felt their pain, cried their tears and trodden down the path that has been laid for them."

Another rope snapped.

"Naru…I…I know you don't hate me. I just…"Mai paused, silent for a moment longer. "I feel that you don't like me. I'm idiotic. I'm obnoxious. Whatever you call me. It's what I am." Tears rolled down her blushing face.

A loud snap. The third rope had broken.

Naru stared into her eyes again. "Why did you ever think I hate you?! Now you're being stupid because everything I tell you is what you believe!"

Now this was getting out of hand.

Naru's gaze hardened as he glared at the girl in front of him. She stared right into his face, noticing that he was also upset about what she had said. _The last rope will break at any moment. _Mai thought.

The ship creaked and groaned loudly. Windows shattered and powerful waves washed water up onto the deck.

Doors began to open and close on their own.

Objects levitated and threw themselves everywhere.

_Naru's using his Qigong again._

_This is dangerous…_

Mai silently pleaded.

_Don't do it, Naru. Please…_

The man's stare softened for a moment as if he had heard Mai's thoughts. He let go of her shoulders, Mai sinking to the floor against the wall where he had pinned her. The ship began to convulse; bolts flew out of the walls, more windows shattered, doors flew off their hinges. Lin ran into the room, finally locating the two that had gone M.I.A..

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" He yelled, trying to be heard over the roaring of the ship. The door he ran in from burst from the wall, nearly flattening Lin on its journey to the back wall.

The last rope snapped.

The ship rocked back and forth, debris flying everywhere. Mai stood and ran out the door, catching herself on the edge of the ship as it flailed, almost knocking her off entirely. She saw what she never hoped to see for the entire trip.

_This can't be good._

Mai watched as HMCS Ontario drifted away from sight.

And it was her fault.


	5. Tilted

**Good News: All right then! Fifth chapter done. And. Posted.**

**Bad news: I'm going to be discontinuing this for a while. I have to do some things aorund the place that are 'more important' than my fanfic, so…**

**I'll see you all on the other side.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 5:

Mai clung onto the railing of the ship for all it was worth, feeling a wave of sadness wash over her. Naru walked closer to her from behind, dazed and stumbling. He looked down at his shoes when she gazed up at him. Mai finally understood what the emotion in his eyes while on the plane was.

It was guilt.

The man felt terrible about having been the cause of the ship's ropes coming loose and snapping. It was because of him that the crew were in the position they were in.

And when they were on the plane, he had felt guilty about laughing at Mai.

Mai turned around to face him, wanting to apologize. Even though Naru was the person who _caused_ the situation they were in, Mai was the person who _provoked_ him to do it.

So, after all, Mai was to blame, even if not fully.

She looked up into the indigo eyes she had feared moments earlier in search of sympathy or friendship. Mai then realized that Naru wasn't the kind of person to just hand this out.

But, by pure instinct, she held her gaze. _Don't feel so sorry, Naru. I'm also to blame for the mess we're in._ The girl though, even if Naru couldn't hear her it.

Mai stared into the deep pools of guilt, becoming lost. The look in his eyes was mysterious – but loving and pitiful. _He looks so much like…_

_Dream Naru…_

Rain began to fall. The waves that rocked against the boat became more powerful – not because of Naru – but by nature. Droplets of sapphire water washed up onto the deck as Mai backed away, the soles of her shoes becoming as slippery as the wood beneath them. The girl struggled to get a good grip or footing as the vessel tipped this way and that, rocking more violently with every gust of strong wind and wave. _It's normal for water to come on decks of ships, but not this much!_ More water flowed in as the ship turned slowly sideways, not planning on going the other way anytime soon. Mai's shoes slipped on the wood and she fell, grabbing Naru's pale hand. The other had managed to find a place to plant his feet to avoid falling into the blue waters below.

The ship had to be at an 80 degree angle by now. Mai dangled helplessly, hanging only by Naru's hand as she heard glass objects fall out of the ship with a loud splash afterwards, some not making it to the broken windows and smashing, glass pieces flying in all directions. She screamed loudly as she had heard those of David and the rest of SPR – Monk, Ayako, Yasu, Masako and Lin – as they all rushed to the doorway of the cabin Mai had ran from.

Ayako shouted out to Mai over the deafening roar of wind and water. "MAI!"

Lin joined her, a look of worry clouding the man's face. They all shouted for the two teens who struggled to find a place to grab onto to avoid falling while gripping on to miscellaneous things themselves in the hopes of survival.

Mai grasped Naru's hand tighter now, feeling her sweat-ridden palms slip slightly with every breath she took.

Time was in slow-motion now – Naru looked down at her, mouth gaping in terror. She looked slowly over at the rest – they all cried for her. She said her prayers and let go of Naru's hand, feeling the wind rush past her before she hit the unexpectedly hard water below her, almost like concrete.

Mai opened her eyes. She had been daydreaming of what would happen if she had let go.

Naru was, thankyfully, still there. He still had a clamped his pale hand over hers to keep her from falling. Wistfully, she thought of how long Naru had been doing this. Snapping out of her own thoughts, Mai tightened her grip. Rain continued to fall, and her hands were sweatier than before. She rubbed her feet on the floor – which was now the wall – in hopes of finding a nick in the wood to climb with.

Her foot slipped inside a small groove in the boat; Naru pulled her up, sighing relief as he heaved the girl onto the port railing, which was now sideways. They lay on the metal rails, praying for the fact that they were still alive.

The rain had begun to slow now and the clouds parted, revealing a gray sky and a dim sun that seemed to give no warmth. The ship began to tip sideways again – not to turtle, but to return to its original state. Mai regretfully but satisfyingly let go of Naru's hand, who swung one leg over the rail, waiting for the ship to right itself. He ushered Mai to do the same.

The boat returned to a normal angle and Mai sat on the deck beside Naru, his back against the railing he had just recently clung onto for dear life. He breathed heavily and relievingly as he sat beside the girl he had worked so hard for to save her life. He managed to sputter out a sentence, the same smirk playing across his horrified facial expression, calming himself a bit. "Good…at least…at least you're alive. I can't have you assist me if you're what I hunt.."

"Yeah, well…" Mai looked up at Naru indifferently. "You're the reason why I'm not."

Naru let his attention turn to Mai. His usually shadowed face had held something. Something Mai had never seen before.

The ghost of a smile long gone, deterriorated over the years danced over his elegant face.

The rest of SPR finally ran to the two on deck, relieved that the ship was at a normal angle again.

Yasu flung his arms around Mai, wailing dramatically. "I thought I'd lost you for good!"

Naru looked over at the teen, momentary anger flaring in his indigo eyes, seemingly scarlet at the time. _Come a little closer, buddy._

Lin spoke briefly with Ayako, who came over to Naru and Mai to inspect for injuries. She lay a worried glance over the two. "I'll take you both into the cabin so we can privately see if you suffered anything from that damn capsize earlier."

The woman ushered the two teens into the cabin that Naru had lost his PK in; haunting memories swirled around Mai's brain, taunting the girl.

Ayako pulled Mai over behind an overturned table; it seems that this room used to be a dining hall of sorts. Mai begrudgingly let Ayako inspect , making sure the girl hadn't come to harm during the fiasco.

"Well, you have some bruises on your wrists and knees, but that's basically it." The priestess muttered, dropping her hands to her sides when she stood once more.

Mai remained sitting, and thinking about what had happened earlier. Ayako might not have noticed, but there was a _reason_ to why Mai had bruises on her wrists. Naru gripped her hands too hard when he was trying to keep her alive during the capsize.

_Oh yeah…_ Mai thought. _I can't count how many times everyone here has saved me from something…_

Monk, protecting her form the undead during the Forbidden Pastime case.

Ayako, whenever Mai had come to harm.

Yasu, who helped her academically in school. He never was very much help in that sense, but he was a good friend all the time.

Lin, who saved her from the orbs in the Cursed House case.

Naru, who gave her this amazing job in the first place.

Naru, who protected her when the roof collapsed at Yasu's school.

Naru, who made her feel safe when they fell down the well together.

Naru, who saved her from a near-death experience moments earlier.

Naru.

Mai blushed, her entire face scarlet. The colour faded when Ayako looked down at her again.

"I'll need you to go over to where Naru was sitting so I can check on him, as well." Ayako's voice resounded through Mai's daydreams.

She went over to the place where Naru had sat a minute ago. The floor was warm from his body heat. Mai tried not to imagine what Ayako was doing. _If only I was a doctor, I could check Naru myself… no need for anyone else to._

_I'd have him all to myself._

Mai mentally slapped herself in the face. _Come on, Mai! You're SIXTEEN. Honestly!_

Just out of curiosity, the brunette stood and peeked over at the two above the overturned table. Ayako was sitting behind Naru, her legs crossed, proddinga pointed thumb into the flesh of his back. Mai saw lots of bruises and cuts; dried blood smeared on the man's back and blouse.

_Was he in pain when he tried to save me?_

Mai shook the thought out of her mind. The brunette thought about Naru longer still, remembering how he had tried in vain to keep her safe constantly.

A grunt of pain sounded from behind the table Mai had stopped looking over. She glanced there again, noting that Naru had clutched his trenchcoat firmly, trying to keep himself from crying out in pain once more. His face was where Ayako couldn't see, his teeth clenched.

_He kept me alive while bearing insufferable pain…_

Naru looked to the left, noticing that Mai was watching him. She sank back to the floor immediately, eyes wide, her face flushing strawberry red. Not a spot of the pale colour that naturally showed was traceable.

After seeing this, Mai sat where she was for a good ten minutes, eyes welling up the moment she sat back against the wall.

_He couldn't take the pain… but he fought against it for me.._

She let a tear fall silently. Naru had suffered so much pain for Mai just to keep her alive and well.

_Maybe he really does care about me._

Fighting the urge to scream at Ayako because she was hurting him, Mai watched Naru again. Her mind raced back to when he lay on the bed in the hotel. She had tried to imagine what was underneath that dark blouse of his.

Well, she had found the answer.

He was very lean; it didn't look like he had visited a gym often or went on any diets in his lifetime. Naru had a toned chest and a lot of muscle.

And it was all natural.

She wondered what he would have said if he had saw her staring at him

"Why are you looking at me?"

Mai nearly shot out of her skin when she realized that the man had _actually_ said this. "OH – I… I…"

Shame fought back her answer. Why was she watching him, anyway?

Naru raised an eyebrow questioningly.

_Oh man. _Mai thought. _This is gonna be a long day._

**Thank you to all my readers for staying with me to this point! I know that some pretty weird crap hit the fan in this chapter, but… it was all planned, so…yeah. **

**EXTRA GOOD NEWS: I don't know if anyone noticed, but…**

**It's April Fools' Day.**

**I'm not discontinuing.**

**Ever.**

**Leave a review on what you thought, and maybe some ideas on things I should put in chapter 6!**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	6. That Sinking Feeling

**Hey guys! I read all of your reviews on my fanfic so far and I am so glad that you're all loving my story! There is actually a sequence in this chapter where Naru explains something (OOOOH!) and I have a recommendation for music to listen to at this part. The link is right below!**

** watch?v=btedwOzm6CI&list=PLks2Jvrhb2eQxGhmL_L10GGPWqZdEcFSW**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Six: That Sinking Feeling…

Mai looked at the said man, feeling immediate regret for even boarding the ship in the first place.

"Well?" An scowl furled Naru's thin lips.

Mai just continued to stare at him, no response surfacing to the lips that sat on her blushing face.

Naru cocked the other eyebrow and let his gaze wander to the floor, rolling his eyes.

_Yeah, that's what I thought you would do. Ignore me all you want, Naru._

The man's eyebrows furrowed as if he had heard her thoughts. They jumped up to his hairline suddenly as his facial expression changed from anger to pain. He gritted his teeth as Ayako finished, punching his back somewhat. The bruises had gone now, but replaced with red blotches.

"Your back is going to be sore for a while, but the burning will stop in a few minutes." The priestess murmured from behind him.

She sat up, Mai and Naru following along. Naru took a little longer to get up, pushing his weight on his left hand.

He collapsed form the weight, sitting back down on the floor again.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Mai hurried up to him, pulling on Naru's wrists to up him again. She faltered slightly as she did this, the sight of his chest before her making her stumble across the floor.

"I'm fine." He stood up faster this time, letting his hand escape Mai's grasp. He brushed himself off, putting his blouse and coat on again.

The group walked out of the cabin to meet the others.

Yasu and Monk ran over to Mai, both men pulling her into a deathly bear-hug.

"I was so worried about you!" Yasu shouted to the girl.

"Are you hurt? What happened before the ship was tipping? Did I miss something important? Wha-"

"MONK, I'm FINE! Really!" Mai yelled, his arm muffling her cries of despair, wanting to escape the man's tight grip on her. She laughed as he let go, happy that at least someone cared about her.

Naru, who even after his several injuries still wanted to do work, called over John, asking him about performing an exorcism on the ship.

"Are you up for it?" His cool voice echoed over the surface of the blue sapphire that seemed to be everywhere.

"Sure. I'll get my robes." The Australian man responded. "When do you want me to do it?"

"After dark." Naru responded. "Most spirits on the ship will be active then."

Mai looked over at Naru. "Why do spirits come out at night?"

He looked down at his assistant, seemingly forgetting the incident earlier. "Spirits tend to come out at night only because of either human psychology or because of reasons of peace. For the first reason, as humans, we tend to be more afraid of nighttime because we have the fear of not being able to see or understand things that happen in the dark. If not this, it is that spirits tend to enjoy quiet, tranquil times to come out. They tend to be out often at night because it is a quieter, more peaceful time than that of day." He paused, rummaging in his trenchcoat pocket for his black, leather-bound book. "I believe that they tend to come out then because spirits who know they are no longer of this world enjoy having time to themselves in the quiet and the dark."

Mai looked at everyone else again, her mind still roaming on Naru. _He always has an explanation for everything._

They all still looked at Naru, who was flipping through the pages rapidly to find something. "Miss Matsuzaki and Takigawa – I will need you to help John in any way possible with the exorcism. Masako, you will exorcise the boiler room. John, the cabin. Miss Matsuzaki, the first floor. And, Takigawa, the deck. We can't afford having anything go wrong now. You all know what happened downstairs in the boiler room." He paused, breathing deeply. "Whatever is here is extremely violent, and will not give up until our last breaths are taken."

Mai stared at the floor in horror.

_The dead child…_

_The ship turning over…_

_Naru's injuries…_

_Now I understand how so much power can be held by one spirit…_

_This entity is truly Majin._

SPR got their things together and headed their separate ways for the exorcisms. Monk grabbed his Vadjra and headed for the deck. John and Masako were already in position, and Masako was off for the boiler room.

Lin sat at his laptop, not minding that he was absent from the group meeting earlier. He had set up the base himself, letting Mai have a break. He typed away at his laptop, looking up every few seconds to glance at the screens of the cameras – one where each spiritualist was located, and then the hallways of the ship.

Mai looked up to where Monk was. She couldn't hear his sutra – Lin had the headphones on. Then Ayako, who wore her red and white robes, wielding the staff she normally used during her exorcisms. She was just down the hall from where base was. John carried a cross and bible, while Masako clasped her hands together, praying still for the young child who was slaughtered by the entity possessing the ship.

All four exorcisms had started. Mai stared around the room – Yasu stood beside Lin and herself at the screens, watching for any movements. Naru had consulted his black book from behind them, a pen scratching every few seconds.

Mai let her gaze focus on the camera screens in front of her. She looked at Monk, Ayako, John, and then…

Masako.

Something black was moving beside her.

**Toward** her.

"Lin!" Mai couldn't keep the fear from cracking her voice a little. "What's that near Masako?!"

The man looked up at the screen that showed Masako. "NARU!" He yelled, turning his head to face the teen behind them. His book snapped shut, eyes narrowing at the monitors. Both men ran downstairs, leaving Mai and Yasu upstairs to stare in bewilderment at the unknown figure in the monitor.

"What's going on?" Yasu cried after them.

"JUST STAY IN THE BASE!" Lin shouted, his voice audible even after being a floor below them.

Mai swivelled back to the monitor again, looking around wildly for the black mass. "Where'd it go?" The thing disappeared from sight.

A shift in the darkness told Mai otherwise. The entity had vanished from behind Masako, but was now in front of her. She saw as the medium looked up at the thing in fright, her hands over her mouth instead of being in front of her, placed together. She swung her arms up at the spirit in terror, halting the exorcism to an immediate stop. Mai watched in horror as Lin and Naru burst into the room from the right corner of the monitor.

Yasu perched his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, which had fallen askew while his head whipped around to yell for Lin earlier. He stared at the monitor with Mai, eyes as wide as Masako's.

The room being viewed had started to shake; every monitor had started to blur or go down, saying something about a 'System Failure.' Monk's camera went out. Then Ayako's. Then four from the hallway. Then John's.

The only camera left was the one in the boiler room. It had started to shake as if someone had physically gripped it and shook intentionally. Lines showed on the screen, blurring and fuzzing the figures that were Masako, Lin and Naru until the camera finally gave way to the spirit's unnatural presence and disconnected.

Mai grabbed Yasu's arm in fear as three people burst through the doorway. Monk, Ayako and John ran into the room, panting and out of breath. Mai let go of the boy's arm in relief.

"Where…where's Masako?" Ayako shouted, her voice louder than anything in the room.

"She-she's in the boiler room! But-"

"Stay here!" She roared, running down the staircase to join the others below.

Mai looked up at Houshou in fear for the others. "What happened?"

"The deck started to shake, so I ran here, and I met Ayako along the way. We decided we couldn't leave John behind if he was still performing his exorcism and the room there was getting the same effects, so we took him here and-"

The man was interrupted by a loud shaking that rattled the entire room. It seemed to shake the entire ship to its core. John and Yasu's green eyes stared wildly around the room.

Mai covered her ears as a deafening screech seemed to emit from the wall to the right. Bolts tumbled from their holes onto the floor, and the ship tipped a little to the right again.

"NARU!" Mai screamed.

The rest of SPR who were downstairs came running up again. Monk pushed through the people to Ayako, taking her hand. She blushed, digging her head into his shoulder for comfort and support.

Lin stood sentry by Naru. Mai ran up to the men, fear urging her eyes to stay open, unblinking, as not to miss anything. Yasu stayed with John, both looking around to find the source of the terrible noise and shaking.

Mai heard windows shatter from the rooms beside them. Naru pushed closer to her. "EVERYONE! GET UP TO THE DECK!"

SPR ran upstairs, feeling as though this was getting out of hand. Mai heard the ship creak with every step she took. This ship didn't feel safe to her, not since the first accident.

The creaking stopped.

All of the people stared in bewilderment.

All except Naru.

He was looking directly at something in the distance behind them.

Something white…

Something tall…

Something cold…

He was staring at an iceberg.

And the ship had just hit it.

Mai remembered David. _He left to pilot the ship a few hours ago, right?_

But something must have gone wrong.

David would never kill them off on purpose…

..Right?

Mai scooted closer to Naru, who didn't pay attention to this. He just continued to stare off at the iceberg, then ran to the other side of the deck. He peered over the rail. His eyes widened in horror as he stared at the rest of the group. He trembled slightly, trying to hide his fear.

"GET TO HIGH GROUND." His voice cut through the heavy night air.

Mai ran to see the man who had spoken. She too looked over the rail, seeing a deep gash in the side of the ship. He took her hand and pulled her away, urging her to stay away from the rising water that would soon envelope the ship.

The ship had started to sink.

**Great! Sixth chapter done. You are all going to KILL ME for this cliffhanger and I just know it. Did I put Naru back in character a little bit, Ezzy99?**

**Anyway, leave a review on the chapter and how you think it was. No requesting options for chapter 7, however – I already have it planned out PER-FECT-LY. See you all in the next chapter!**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	7. Safe at Last?

**WHAT A CLIFFY! So glad to have all my followers on this story and I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter. While writing this, I found no reviews for chapter 6, but used some old ones. Thanks for the great ideas to those who follow: **

**Theflamingrose, Benzybaby, Ferb O. Oche. **

**Thanks to every one of my followers, and leave a review if you please for this next chapter below. **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 7: Safe at last?

Mai watched in a petrified trance as the water slowly lapped at the side of the ship. Naru had a firm hold on her hand, pulling her away from the rising waves. The rest of SPR waited on the other side of the boat, Ayako calling the two frantically like a mother to her lost children.

Mai didn't let herself get delighted for the fact that Naru had taken her hand – not even against his own will.

Mai lacked behind a bit as the man sprinted to join the others, and she saw the bloody mess that had begun to stain his black coat. She grimaced and ran forward to run at his pace, not wanting to look at the red spot any longer.

She felt his hand shake violently, even as they stopped at the feet of the others. Mai had never seen or felt Naru act this way.

He was truly afraid.

And so was Mai.

Houshou's head swivelled this way and that in search of higher ground than the deck. He found a steel ladder attached to the cabin near the stairwell, and zipped off towards it, the rest of SPR following.

He let everybody up before him – ladies first. Masako, Ayako and Mai trudged up the slippery ladder as fast as they could, followed by Yasu, Naru, John, Lin and lastly Monk. John cast a green-eyed gaze around the ship.

He eyed the smokestacks, three in all, then the other cabins around the group. Some of SPR huddled together for comfort as worry clouded their minds. John looked around still, spotting another cabin to the right of them, slanting on a higher level than the rest of the ship.

"COME ON, GUYS! IN HERE!" The blonde priest yelled.

The team filed inside swiftly, Yasu panting, Ayako's eyes filled with tears. Masako sat inbetween them, eyes closed tightly shut against the world around her, like she didn't want to be there anymore. Monk held a strong arm around the medium as well as Ayako in an attempt to calm them down.

Mai sat on the floor beside Naru and Lin. She panted heavily, out of breath, thoughts and words to say about the world that was slowly falling apart around her. She heard and felt the calamity that ensued the ship, water rising faster now that the lowest deck was filled with water.

"Naru – the equipment." Lin spoke, breaking the eerie silence –other than the sound of rushing water-that draped over SPR like a blanket.

The teen stared a moment longer at the man than it seemed it should have taken for the narcissistic brain of his to process.

"Nevermind the equipment. We can always buy new tools. For now, the only thing we have to worry about saving is right in front of us." Naru pointed a finger at the rest of the people near him.

Mai looked up at Naru, tears shining behind her eyelids. _He's worried about all of us…_

Closing her eyes, the girl punched a fist into an open hand. "He's right. You're all my family. I would risk my life just to save all of you."

Mai looked up at Naru once more. She saw no compassion there – only fear and anxiety, just like the rest of her friends.

The rest of her _family._

Mai's bravery mode kicked in. "First, we need to find David. After that, we can figure out what we'll do next." Mai thought the rest of her sentence. _I can't just let you all die. Not even David. We have to find him and a lifeboat to get off this damned ship._ SPR nodded in agreement.

Naru turned to Lin. The Chinese man nodded, running down the stairs. Naru followed, ushering the rest to do the same.

Mai sprinted after her makeshift family, not stopping to turn around or breathe. _If we make even as little as one mistake, we're all dead._ She ran and ran, icy air filling her lungs with every painful breath. Even though it was June, the nights on the oceans were freezing. The only thing keeping Mai distracted from the pain in her chest was seeing her breath in freezing clouds before her. SPR kept pace with Naru and Lin as they descended further until the Captain's quarters were found.

Mai understood why Naru was trying to find the room. _David is most likely to be in there..._

They all came across a room with a striped buoy on the door.A little wooden sign inside the hole read "Captain's Quarters: KEEP OUT."

Naru took a pocketknife out of his jacket and fiddled with the lock in the door.

_Naru has a pocketknife?_

A clicking sound; the door swung open.

Mai felt panic seize her heart – not because there was water lapping at her feet now, but because David wasn't in the room.

Alive and in the room, anyway.

The girl's eyes swept up to the bed. David sat upon it, no evidence that he ever had arms or legs. Blood stained the white sheets and blue duvet. The oak headboard had chunks taken out of it, with scratches covering every inch of what was left. Bloodstains rode up the wall.

Mai's thoughts began to wander.

_Majin is still here._

_David was killed._

_The ship is sinking._

_We have to get out._

The brunette shook her head in confusion at the jumbled thoughts. She looked further up at the wall for clarity but found nothing of the sort.

SPR gasped in synchronization as all eight pairs of eyes travelled up the bloodstained wall.

There, written in the blood, was something strange.

わたしを恐れ, 住んでいます。

(FEAR ME, I LIVE.)

Mai trembled. She knew exactly what – who – did this.

"Majin." Naru breathed. "It wasn't a false name at all."

Ayako noticed how high the water was becoming on the ship's lower level. The freezing water was rising up to her ankles. Naru looked down at Mai, a surge of anger blazing in his eyes. They hardened over and became cold with fear. He turned to Lin, who nodded twice after whispering something, and ran upstairs, followed by the rest of the irregulars.

Mai's feet were cold. Water slushed inside her shoes with every stride she made following Naru. The icy hands of fear clutched at her heart. _Will everyone make it out alive?_

She sprinted after the others, who ran up to the topmost deck in search of a lifeboat.

Naru's pace began to slow. He still ran, but slower than the rest of SPR. Nobody noticed this – except for Mai.

Monk pointed a pale hand out in the dark to two poles with ropes dangling down, holding a lifeboat.

"COME ON! THE LIFEBOAT'S JUST OVER HERE!" He shouted over the deafening creaking of the boat and the blistering winds. Mai was about to clamber in when she heard something.

A familiar yell and a loud bang.

Naru had fallen.

He was stuck under an overturned ladder.

A **150-pound** overturned ladder.

SPR paid no attention – they thought he was already in the lifeboat. Mai raced back for him, the water now rising over the second floor of the ship.

Only two more to go – the third and the deck.

"Mai! Where are you going?!" John yelled after the girl.

"I'M GOING TO FIND NARU!" She screamed back. Monk's eyes widened in alarm at the sight of the waves rolling over the lights on the second floor.

If there were any lights left.

The power went out on the ship seconds ago.

Mai raced across the sinking side of the deck, finding Naru. He grimaced in pain but did not accept defeat as Mai tried to lift the ladder off of him.

"It's...no use…"The man breathed. The crushing weight of the ladder pushed most of the air out of him.

"Don't give up, Naru!" Mai whispered, eyes welling with tears. "You can't die yet!"

"I…I can't breathe…" Naru wheezed, closing his eyes in pain. "Can…can you try lifting it again, Mai..?"

The girl put all of her strength into moving the ladder. It didn't budge.

"Think…of something…happy…"

_Okay._ Mai thought. _I'll think of something happy._

She thought of the Bloodstained Labyrinth case. When she had the retrocognition nightmare and Naru came to give her tea and make sure that she was fine.

Mai placed all of her strength and love for the dying man in front of her into her hands. She lifted the ladder even more – enough so Naru could crawl out from under. He did so.

"Thank you..." He placed a pale hand on her left shoulder.

A massive shudder wracked the metal of the ship. The floorboards splintered between Naru and Mai, each party backing away quickly.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Mai screamed over the bloodcurdling sound.

"JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Naru yelled back to her.

"MAI!" Monk yelled for her.

"NARU!" Masako screamed.

The ship's creaking and splintering became louder until Naru heard nothing but that and the blood roaring in his ears. He saw Mai slide downward slowly as the wood beneath her feet bent inwards, breaking in half with the rest of the ship. Naru shook in fear and anger.

_I will not let her die. Not today, not ever._

The ship had now almost fully split in half. Naru spotted a metal 'I' beam that he could use to run across and meet the girl. He said his prayers and jumped onto the slippery metal below.

Running across like the wind, Naru jumped and gripped the broken wood floor on the other side of the deck. He climbed upwards, feeling renewed strength now that Mai was in danger.

She screamed, making Naru's blood run cold. He heard a splash below him.

_Am I too late?_

Naru looked down where Mai was earlier, inside the buckled wood.

The splashing was an unhinged door falling into the water.

He found her.

She sat inside the giant groove in the ship, arms folded over her knees.

"Naru!" She spoke softly, feeling relieved that the man had come to help.

"Just take my hand."

Mai did as she was told; Naru pulled her out of the groove, walking onto a steady side of the ship. They watched as the 'I' beam broke, plunging down into the cold waters below. Mai looked to her left – the lifeboat was still there. SPR waited for the two who went away.

Again.

The other side of the ship slowly sunk into the water, making no noise. Mai felt the wood below her tremble – this side was still sinking, however slowly.

Naru jogged to the lifeboat, a gap beneath the others and the ship. He jumped, landing on the side, Lin pulling him in to safety.

Mai did the same, landing on the rail. She scrambled slightly, pulling herself up with her arms, then placing one small leg at a time in the boat. She sat down beside Naru, who looked thoroughly pleased and relieved that everyone survived.

Ayako looked back at the ship, a pale white blur against the black night sky. "That's something you don't see every day…"

She clung onto an oar, and rowed with Monk back in the direction they sailed away from. The shoreline of HMCS Ontario was only about 13 hours away.

Naru closed his eyes, no doubt thinking about something. "Mai?"

"Yes, Naru?" The assistant turned her pale face to look him in the indigo eye.

He said nothing, but thinned his lips and furrowed his brow. He looked down at his assistant, the girl he had tried so hard to save. She looked up at him, eyes shining in happiness and curiosity.

He moved briskly – cupping his right hand on her face, the left on the boat's seat, he leaned forward, his lips pressing gently on hers under the stars shining above.

**WELL! How did you like THAT chapter?! I put in a lot of time into this and I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Leave a review and a few ideas maybe about what should happen in the next chapter, and I'll leave you all to reading it when it's posted.**

**Have a good weekend,**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	8. Aftershock

**Last chapter was AMAZING! So glad so many liked it ;D If you'd like to make some suggestions for chapter 9, I'm totally open to you guys. Special thanks to the following for awesome reviews:**

**Lovenarumai, Benzybaby, Ferb O. Oche, ChristinCC and Naginifay.**

**P.S. For a good soundtrack to read this fanfic with, look up twilightstar423 on YouTube. They've downloaded the entire original soundtrack for the anime on their channel. I will put up song recommendations for the playlist every scene change. I will also be updating my other chapters to have this feature. **

**Enjoy! **

Chapter 8: Once Again

_**(Song 15 - Rikai recommended here) **_

Mai's eyes were wide in shock. The man let loose his lips from hers, a hand still on her face, which was blushing red beyond belief.

And so was his.

"I've waited so long for you to do that, Naru."

He blinked, continuing to stare into the chocolate eyes he had become so fond of during the past year. Mai and Naru had been on so many cases together and not once did he ever stop to tell her how he really felt about her.

Mai looked up at the stars, shining brightly like jewels above her auburn head.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her face returning to its normal colour. "The stars are beautiful tonight…"

Naru gazed at them with her, placing his hand back to his side. "Yes. They are."

Mai looked at the man again. She thought not only about him but what waited at the shore.

_We're finally going back again… _

_**(Song 6 – Tennenkyara wa go Aikyou recommended here) **_

The said girl looked back at the rest of SPR.

They all gawked.

Mai's face flushed bloodred again, as well as Yasu's and Masako's. Monk stared at her, wide-eyed, a weird sound emitting from his throat. Ayako's eyebrows reached her hairline, her mouth falling into a perfect 'O'. Lin, who sat with John (who was rowing the boat), cocked an eyebrow at Naru, then continued to grab an oar and row with Ayako, Monk and John.

Naru's face was pure red.

Ayako interrupted the awkward silence that draped over them like a heavy blanket. "W-What possessed you to do THAT, Naru?!"

The man remained silent, staring at his feet.

Mai looked at him, impudent. _You honestly can't be ashamed of kissing me if you knew that everyone else would notice!?_

The rest of the irregulars turned slowly to face the direction the boat was going.

_This is going to be a long boat ride… __

_**(No music here.)**_

Clouds of pink and orange circled the low-hanging sun on the morning horizon. Distant lights shone brightly on the shore of HMCS Ontario.

Finally, SPR had returned.

Monk was the first to climb out of the boat. He helped out all of the others, then pulled the lifeboat on the dock. SPR became situated on the dock, walking around until they found someone.

Suddenly, a woman burst out of the main building. "Have you seen my husband?!" She yelled out.

Naru jogged up to her, the inky-blue hair of his glowing slightly orange in the morning sun. "Who is he?" His English was spectacular.

"David! Where is David?" The woman responded. Guilt and pity sank into Mai's stomach.

_Oh no… David isn't even alive…_

_She doesn't know that her husband died during the accident on the ship… How will Naru tell her?_

Naru stared at the woman. A trace of sadness was visible in his indigo eyes.

"David is no longer of this world."

The woman's hands slid up to her face. "W-what do you mean?"

"David went with us on the ship when we went to exorcise it. The ropes snapped, and we hit an iceberg on the trip. The ship sank, and your husband didn't make it to the lifeboat on time." Naru's tone was low and regretful.

Tears ran down the woman's face. "He…he didn't even live a full life…"

Masako held up a hand to Naru as if to tell him not to respond. She glided over to the crying woman, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"David may not have lived a full life, but the one he had was most definitely enjoyable. I'm sure he will see you on the Bridge – in the afterlife. David will always be with you."

The medium's eyes lowered and she dropped her head, eyes closed. "I feel him right now."

The woman dried her face. "Yes… I guess it would be wise to move on. I can't live in the past forever…"

Her eyes glowed with a certain happiness for her husband's safe passage into the afterlife. "My name is Elizabeth Campbell. It was lovely to meet you all." Her gaze rested on Masako. "Thank you."

The woman walked away, leaving SPR to do their own thing.

Lin turned to the rest after she stalked away. "We best get to the hotel again. Our flight leaves…" He stared at his watch, embroidered with Chinese symbols. "…At 3:00 in the afternoon tomorrow."

SPR clambered into the rental van and drove back to the hotel.

Mai closed the car door behind her, climbing the steps into the hotel. SPR checked in, and walked up to the room section once more.

They all filed into their designated rooms, feeling a great weight lifted off of their shoulders.

Mai left to the bathroom to change into something dry, Naru sprawling onto his bed, exhausted from the day's work. He cracked open the same book he read the day before, silent.

Mai opened the bathroom door, walking out in her floral pyjamas and pink slippers. "Bathroom's all yours, Naru."

He grunted in approval and sat up, walking to the room Mai had just left.

The girl watched as he walked.

She loved how he walked.

Mai turned around, tired beyond belief, eyeing Naru's black trenchcoat as she paced to her bed. She flopped onto the red velvet, feeling great to know that she was halfway to going home.

Mai closed her eyes, falling asleep as soon as her eyelids covered the nutmeg brown orbs beneath.

_**(Song 6 – Densetsu recommended here)**_

Mai's eyes flew open. She stood in a black dreamscape, colourful orbs dancing gracefully around her auburn head.

_If I'm having a dream like this again, then 'Dream Naru' will be in front of me in at least five seconds._

Something moved in the darkness.

_Four._

Mai spotted a blue mess of hair crowned upon the man's head in the distance.

_Three._

His dark clothes became more visible as he came closer.

_Two._

The man stood a few feet away from Mai, a beautiful smile glowing on his face.

_One._

'Dream Naru' stood in front of Mai now, still smiling wider than ever. "Hello, Mai." He greeted softly.

"Hey, Naru…" Mai responded, not looking up at him, but staring at her feet, ashamed of what the man may say about their 'moment' earlier today.

"Why do you look so…nervous?"

Mai looked up at him. That should have been her first clue. When the girl remained silent, 'Dream Naru' bent down to her height, a look of questioning upon his pale face.

"Why..?" Mai whispered.

"Why what?"

Mai rubbed her hand over her left shoulder. "Why did you…kiss me?"

The man looked taken aback and pleased at the same time. "Wh-what do you m-mean? I…I _kissed _ you?!" He blinked furiously. Just about as furious as the red that blanketed his face.

"_You don't_ _remember_?_" _Mai's voice rose angrily.

"Well, no. I didn't do anything of the sort."

The brunette looked impudently at him. "Well then…"

She turned away from him, walking slowly while thoughts bloomed in her head.

_**(Song 6 – Tennenkyara wa go Aikyou recommended here) **_

Mai awoke the next morning to no sound. She glanced sleepily at her alarm clock.

It read 9:03.

"WHAT?!" Mai whispered, shocked. "Did I miss the first meeting this morning?!"

She clambered out of the red duvet and got dressed. She chose her pale yellow beach house t-shirt and blue skirt. Mai ran out of the room, keycard in hand. She panted as she reached the hallway.

There was nothing there.

No sounds, no members of SPR gathered to meet before they left for a case.

_Oh, right…The case was solved yesterday._

Mai trudged back in the room, disappointed that she had woken up for nothing. _Although – since I'm up, I might as well do something productive._

But what? Housekeeping already cleans the rooms for the people staying. And since the case was done, what is there to do that's unfinished?

Mai sighed. She glanced around the room, looking for something to do. Her eyes fell upon Naru.

_I wonder whether he normally sleeps in after cases are done…_

_**(Song 15 – Rikai recommended here)**_

The girl tiptoed across the hotel room floor. She stopped at Naru's bed, thinking about what he had said to her in her dream last night.

But was it even Naru?

Him, of all people, would remember if they had done something…important.

_Anyway – I shouldn't stay here for any longer; He could wake up and find me staring at him…_

But Mai didn't move. She felt like she couldn't.

She didn't want to.

Mai stayed where she was. She looked at the man's face, relaxed and stress-free – the same way his eyebrows and lips relaxed when he read.

Mai wanted to use her index finger to trace out his beautiful face and every detail that made it. She wanted to lay beside him, sharing the same dreams. She wanted to be near him forever. She wanted to actually be able to love him.

Mai reached out a hand to move around and play with his blueish hair for once in her life without being berated for it.

Naru's eyes opened slowly.

_OH MAN._

He stared at her, a smirk stretching across his face.

"And good morning to you too."

**THAT'S A WRAP! Longest amount of pages for a chapter I wrote so far. Thanks to all of my viewers for your complete patience with this project, chapter 9 will be started soon. I'm going to have Mai mention 'Dream Naru' to Actual Naru next time around.**

**Special thanks to theflamingrose for your great ideas – they'll be in the next chapter. I promise you.**

**See you all later and have a great week!**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	9. Dream Naru'

**What an ending! I loved the last chapter and according to my reviews you guys did too - Special thanks to NaginiFay and Ferb O. Oche!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 9: 'Dream Naru?'

_**(Song 6 – Tennenkyara wa go Aikyou recommended here)**_

Mai's hand shot back to her side, trying to search somewhere inside her brain for an explanation of what just happened.

Naru looked tiredly up at her, his indigo eyes gleaming. "Well then." He breathed deeply. "What exactly are you here for? The case is finished."

_I just wanted to look at your devilishly beautiful face._ "I…didn't know what you looked like when you were sleeping…" Mai mumbled, embarrassed. Her thoughts whipped back to 'Dream Naru's' remark earlier. _I didn't do anything of the sort…_

"And because you decided you wanted to be near me so much, I would appreciate a cup of tea." Naru jeered, smirking.

_How can he possibly keep up with the act – even this early in the morning?!_

Mai trudged over to the stand with a kettle. Mai looked around for her dufflebag, pausing for a moment.

"Earl Grey, Green or Orange Pekoe?"

"You know."

Mai rolled her eyes, pacing over to Naru's bag to get the Earl Grey tea.

_**(No music here)**_

She stopped when Naru stood up unexpectedly quick, grabbing the bag himself as if he didn't want the girl to look through his things.

_What could you possibly have to hide from me?_

Naru rummaged through the bag, handing the box silently over to Mai. His facial expression was blank, as if he were deep in thought.

Mai strolled to the teapot and brewed the tea, humming all the while.

Her heart skipped a beat when she realized, in the silence, that it was her birthday.

"Oh yeah..I'm seventeen now! I'm as old as Naru!" She whispered to herself.

She poured the Earl Grey into two cups – Naru's gold-banded one and her own. Mai hesitated slightly before toeing toward the teen in front of her, who sat up on his bed, pulling the book out of his bag. He didn't put the book away when presented with the cup, but drank silently.

Mai drank her tea, leaning against the counter.

_**(Song21 – Densetsu recommended here)**_

Neither party said a word until Naru stood, a paper falling out of his book without the man's realization. He went to the bathroom to change into his normal black clothing, and closed the door.

Mai tiptoed across the room, curious as to what information could be on the paper he dropped.

She sat quietly, careful as to not draw Naru's attention and have him come back inside the room. She held up the paper to her knees and gazed upon what lay there.

It wasn't an information piece.

It was a picture. It was of two boys, seemingly the same age, standing side-by-side.

Two_ identical_ boys.

Who looked exactly like Naru.

Mai gasped slightly, sorry that she had ever looked into Naru's personal things. She looked longer still at the photo, realization blooming in her mind.

One looked unhappy, scowling. The other smiled.

Smiling identically to 'Dream Naru.'

Mai felt an inkling of the truth dawn over her memory.

Mai kissed Naru.

This was a different boy beside him. Naru's twin.

The twin is 'Dream Naru.' Which means that 'Dream Naru' is…

"…A real person…" Mai voiced her thoughts quietly.

She scrambled furiously, panicking as Naru walked into the room. Mai put the photo on top of his leather book, catching his eye. He stared at the photo, turned up on his book so the image showed.

**Here's the thing. When Naru gets really angry, he yells. When Naru gets **_**really **_**angry, he goes silent. When Naru goes into get-the-hell-out-of-my-way-or-I'll-kill-you mode, his voice becomes calm.**

**Deathly calm.**

Naru's mouth opened as if to say something, his eyebrows furrowed. He shut it again, now staring at Mai, eyes cold with hidden rage.

Mai thought back to her birthday. "H-hey, Naru – when's your birthday?"

He answered the question, knowing what she was leading on to, seeing as she found out that Naru has a twin. "Same as-" He stopped speaking when he realized what he was about to say. "September 19th." Dismissing the question, he proceeded to talk about the issue at hand. "Where did you find that photo?"

"Y-you dropped it earlier and-" Mai stuttered, but was interrupted.

"Do you know what it is?" He growled.

Mai felt panic seize her heart as he stared her down, a scowl etched upon his face, paler than ever. "…No, I don't." She lied. Some of the colour fleeted back to his face.

Mai took in a deep breath, knowing full well that Naru was beyond angry. If she did anything stupid (like normal), her head would be on a silver platter.

"…It's not you in my dreams…is it?"

The man seemed to not have understood, because his head dropped a few inches instead of giving a reply.

"He looks like you, but he smiles a lot and laughs. He seems…charming." Mai whispered.

Naru closed his eyes. "No."

"It's him, isn't it." Mai pointed at the smiling twin on the photo. Her phrase wasn't a question. It was a statement. She knew it couldn't be Naru. Not with the smiles the other man had given her.

"It's my brother. Eugene." Naru's reply was smooth as silk, but cold as ice_. His tone makes it seem like he doesn't love his brother very much…_ Mai thought. _I mean – they're so different. Eugene smiles a hell of a lot more than Naru does…_

"Are you and Eugene close?" Mai asked. She wondered if he even cared about Eugene. She had never met him, after all.

"We were, yes. But…we haven't seen eachother since…" His voice trailed away. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"Since what?"

Naru looked up at her, his eyes becoming the deepest pools of anger and misery. He held his breath for a moment before responding.

"Eugene isn't alive anymore, Mai."

Mai felt her head drop in shame. She dared usher Naru into answering questions about his deceased brother without realizing that the man clearly didn't want to converse about the subject.

But, as usual, Naru had an explanation for _everything._

_**(Song 7 – Fuon recommended here)**_

"He was walking late at night, down a private road. A woman in a red car was driving nearby, clearly not noticing where she was going." Naru took a rasping breath, bracing himself to relive the horror again. "She ran him over. Not once, but twice when she realized he was still moving. She pulled a yellow tarp out of her car, and wrapped Eugene in it. She ran around, dragging my brother's body with her until she found a cliff edge. The woman put stones inside the tarp, and threw Eugene into the lake below." His voice was laced with disgust and sadness.

"Damn, I'll hunt her down and gut her if I ever meet her…" Mai's tone was dark.

Naru remained silent. He knew Mai had a dark side, but had never been exposed to it very often. He guessed that she felt protective of Naru's emotions.

She only said that because she knew what death in the family felt like.

After all, the girl was an orphan, living on her own for over four years. Her father died before she had the chance to even know him, and her mother passed when she was in middle school.

Mai lived a life of tragedy, masked in false happiness. Even if she was truly happy, she went home to nothing. No-one.

She was alone in the world, only wanting a family to love her back.

The way she loved everyone else.

_**(Song 15 – Rikai recommended here)**_

Naru looked over at Mai, his face even more sullen than when he was talking about the death of his only brother.

"Mai…" He spoke gently.

The girl looked up, tears shining in her eyes. "You know what it feels like to be alone, too, don't you?"

"Yes. I do." Naru breathed. "You feel like there's nobody in the world to protect you. You're alone – nobody standing at your side. When you lose someone…"

"It's more than you can bear." Mai finished. "I remember when I lost my mother. She was all I had." Mai rubbed the tears from her eyes and sniffed. "She made me feel so brave all the time. But..when she left me…"

"The bravery went away, didn't it?" Naru spoke. "But you face everything that's put in front of you everyday, Mai. You're a _ghost hunter_. You're supposed to be brave."

The girl balled her fists on her lap, sitting on the bed, cross-legged. "The only reason why I'm brave now is because I feel that you're always there to protect me. It's hard to be scared when someone you love is near."

Her hands flung up to her face when she realized what she had said.

But instead of his usual snide comments, Naru looked down at her, pity and happiness dancing in his indigo eyes. "You love me?" He whispered.

Mai looked back at him, fear grabbing at her very soul, but instead of an icy gust that swept through her body, a warm sensation spread from her heart.

She can't lie to him now. Not when she's so vulnerable.

"…Yes."

The man sat up straight on his bed, no space from behind his legs to swing them. He placed a hand beside him as if urging Mai to sit with him.

The girl looked up at him, a small smile breaking the mask of misery that covered her face. She sobbed slightly and slid off of her bed and joined Naru on his. She sat beside him from where he drew back his hand, this time placing it calmly around her shoulder.

_Why is it that when you're sad, if someone hugs you, your misery becomes worse – but at the same time heals itself?_ The girl thought as she collapsed into the man's arms and cried harder.

He put the other hand around her head, rocking her back and forth like the father that Mai never had.

Or the lover that she always wanted.

Mai's arms were wrapped around Naru's shoulders in a tight embrace, feeling that if she let go the world would collapse. Naru, as in Naru the Narcissist, was actually letting someone love him.

Finally, the emotional barrier that had shrouded him for years had broken.

A quiet knock on the door. "Is anyone in here up yet?" A low voice said.

Mai retracted her arms from around Naru, a smile still on her face. She wiped her tears and strolled across the room. She recognized that voice. The door swung open slowly to reveal Houshou, a passport and a box of tea in hand.

"Our plane leaves in an hour. Just thought I'd let you guys know so that we don't miss it!" He laughed. "See you both out in the hall at 2:50. Oh – this is for Naru." He handed Mai the box of tea quietly as if it were a joke.

"Alright, Monk. Thanks." Mai responded quietly. She took the tea from him and set it on the kitchenette counter. He closed the door and disappeared from sight.

_**(Song17 – Hyoukai recommended here)**_

"…Do you feel better, Naru?" Mai asked, handing her boss a cup of tea. "You know – now that you've gotten some if the sadness off of your chest?"

"Yes, actually." Naru spoke softly. "I just miss him so much…"

This came as a shock to Mai – even after their moment earlier. Naru missing someone - or loving them for that matter? No. Not possible. Naru the Narcissist could _never_ actually care about someone, right?

_But he cares about me._

_He cared about Eugene._

_He cares about all of SPR._

_He just never lets it show._

"Mai?" Naru broke the silence that draped over the two.

"Yeah?"

"Don't you ever tell anyone about this. Especially not Lin or Madoka."

"…Okay then..?" Mai blushed.

_Naru is so shy…_

**Okay! Chapter nine done! So glad so many of my followers liked the last chapter. Special thanks to theflamingrose; your little fiasco you asked about is going to be done next chapter. I know Naru seems out of character, but this was all part of a plan.**

**Just trust me on this one.**

**I know what I'm doing.**

**Anyway, have a great early weekend – 'cause it's Thursday – and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	10. Home at Last

**Ohhhhh what a week… I hadn't gotten around to writing this chapter for a while so here it is XD Special thanks to ALL of my followers and viewers! **

**Enjoy! Chapter 10: Home at Last **

_**(No music here) **_

Mai sat down on the bed beside Naru, thoughts blooming in her auburn head.

_I don't know why he never told any of us about Eugene… _

_But yet again, who would? _

The man sighed quietly. "We should get around to leaving now…Lin will be waiting in the van by now."

Mai walked quietly around the room, gathering all of her things. She found her bathingsuit at the other end of the hotel room, on Naru's bed.

_This would've come in handy earlier… _

_WAIT A MINUTE… _

_**(Song 6 – Tennenkyara wa go Aikyou recommended here)**_

"…UMMM…NARU?"

"Yes?"

"What the HELL is wrong with you?!"

Naru simply smirked at the bathingsuit Mai held up from his bed. "Something wrong with me? …I never thought about that before. Maybe I've been around you enough to go insane."

Mai huffed impudently. "Fine then. Don't admit you're a pervert."

The man choked on his tea, eyebrows at his hairline. "Whoever said I was a pervert?" He coughed.

"I did. Just now." Mai joked.

The man put a hand over his face, didn't respond, and stood and walked out the door, his dufflebag in hand. Mai watched him leave, a smile blooming over her face. _That was quite a show… _

She continued to rummage through the room, searching it thoroughly in case she missed anything.

Because if she did, Mai would _not_ come back to Canada to get a box of tea or a shirt.

She finished and walked out to the hallway to find Naru. He spoke on his phone with someone quietly, but hung up when Mai walked into the room, as if he were doing something he wasn't supposed to.

Mai was just about to speak to him when his phone rang again.

The man let out a groan and flipped it open. "Hello again, Mother."

Mai heard **every. Single. Word.**

"WHY did you hang up on me, Noll?!"

"I didn't hang up on you –" His voice lowered so that Mai couldn't hear him. "She walked in."

…_What?_

_Is Naru talking about me to his mother? _

"Ohhh, okay… How is she, anyway?"

"Fine. Just fine. We're on our way back now. Or at least we would be if you hadn't called me again."

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I'll make sure to call you on the plane."

"Mothe-"

"In the van?"

"I don't think everyone else would appreciate the loud noises coming out of something so small."

"Alright then. Call me when you get home."

Naru slumped his shoulders, looking defeated for once in his life. "_Fine._ Goodbye."

"Bye dear! I love you!" The line went dead and Naru flipped the phone back down and tossed it into his pocket, letting out a quiet sigh.

He walked down the hallway now, Mai following quietly, doubled over in silent laughter. Her gut hurt from not being able to actually laugh at Naru.

'Cause if she did, _bye-bye employment._

She straightened her posture, her right hand stifling a loud giggle. She couldn't let Naru hear her or see her if he turned around because she knew how embarrassing it must be for Naru the Narcissist to get a phone call from his dear mother. _Especially_ in the middle of a hotel.

They exited the building for the final time. Mai and the rest hopped into the van and rode back to the airport, relieved that she was even closer to getting home.

They went to the airport, boarded the plane, and looked back at Canada for the last time.

_Finally going home… _

_**(Song 3 – Nar…cissist recommended here)**_

SPR filed out of the plane silently. It was 5:47 in the morning in Japan.

"I need to get used to the old time again, don't I..?" Mai groaned.

"Yep!" Monk laughed. "I don't care! I just hate planes! I'm so glad to be off that thing!" He rolled around on the ground, kissing the concrete at the Japanese airport.

Naru rolled his eyes and stepped over the man who clearly lacked precociousness. The rest followed him, Ayako actually stepping on Houshou, whose legs flew into the air as he yelled in pain.

_Too bad Ayako wasn't wearing heels. _

Lin unlocked the old van, happy to see that it wasn't stolen – and neither was the equipment perched in the back of it. Ayako unlocked her own car, jumping in enthusiastically.

SPR clambered into their respective vehicles and drove back to headquarters.

Naru opened the front door (surprised that it was already unlocked) , his hands trembling slightly from anticipation to get back inside and sit in his lair. Mai walked in from behind, smelling tea already brewing.

_Who's in here? _She thought.

Naru stopped in his tracks before placing a foot over the threshold of the office. He gawked, an expression not normally worn by Naru.

There, standing at the kitchenette where Mai normally makes tea was a woman who looked exceptionally like Naru, her inky hair tied in a tight bun.

_**(Song 6 – Tennenkyara wa go Aikyou recommended here)**_

"Hello, Noll!"

"Noll?" SPR exclaimed in synchronization.

But Mai thought ahead of them all. _Wait a second… When I first called him Naru, he asked me where I heard that name before._

_Naru…_

_Noll…_

_Naru is Noll, but with an extremely Japanese accent._

She giggled not only at her realization and idiocy but at the fact that Naru had a hand over his face, embarrassed that his mother had been waiting for him to get home. "How did you get here?"

"OOH! Who is _this_ that I see? Is this the girl you were talking about?" She pointed at Mai.

_The girl they were…talking about?_

"…Yes.. but – that doesn't answer my question, Mother. _How _did you get here?"

"I just used my spare key."

"_Spare key? _Who gave you a _spare key_?"

Lin used a fist to stifle a chuckle and tapped his toes on the ground. Naru gave him a 'I-will-kill-you-in-a-minute' look, then resumed to cover his face with a pale hand. "Mai – tea."

"Sa, hai Sa!" The girl laughed before strolling to the room Naru's mother was in.

"Excuse me for asking, but – what's your name?" Masako spoke.

"Oh, sorry! I'm Luella Davis."

The team remained silent for a moment, trying to figure out why Naru's last name was Shibuya and his mother's was Davis.

Then the realization seeped in.

"Davis – as in _Oliver_ Davis?" Mai stopped stirring tea.

"Yes. Why? What of it?" Luella spoke once again.

The room went silent, enough so that someone could hear a pin drop – or more like a spoon that Mai did a few seconds ago. _Does that mean that someone in her family is….Oliver Davis?!_

"Do you know Dr. Oliver Davis?" Monk broke the awkward silence.

"Yes – he's rig-" Luella was interrupted.

"_Mother."_ Naru's voice was impatient and firm.

"What, Noll? You want me to cover up that you have some kind of 'secret' crush on the tea girl and now you want me to cover the fact that you're-"

Naru upped and left the room to hide in his personal office. Mai's spoon that she picked up clattered to the floor again as her face flushed pure red, as well as Masako's. Luella cast an odd glance at the door that Naru had just slammed. "What?"

The rest of SPR gawked at the woman. The first person to break the ice was Monk, who burst into tearful laughter. Ayako, Yasu and Masako cast angry glares at the office door where Naru had walked into as Lin stood near Luella, laughed silently.

Luella looked back over at Mai when Naru walked back into the room.

"Good! Are you ready to tell me whether I'm ever going to have grandchildren?"

Mai choked on the tea she had finished making and dropped the cup with a smash on the ground. She scurried to grab it all before she managed to sputter: "G-grandchildren?"

"Yes! I've always wanted to hear _something _about a girl from Noll and yet it never comes. The only thing I've got close to that is that he apparently likes you and isn't brave enough to say something."

Naru's eyes were wider than tea saucers. "Since when did I _ever _say anything about me liking someone?"

"Don't tell me you forgot about that phone call." Luella said amusedly.

Naru's face was red with rage and embarrassment. Mai faltered slightly at the sight. _So that's what he looks like when he blushes..!_

Naru's hands clamped to the seams of his pants. He looked defeated somewhat. Not even Naru the Narcissist could win a verbal battle with his mother.

"Well, that was quite the 'Welcome Home' party." Monk laughed.

**Yes! Chapter 10 done! I didn't know if it was quite necessary but I felt like I had to write it. Special thanks to theflamingrose. Did I throw Luella in there well enough?**

**Well, with that, have a great… end of the weekend?**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	11. It Will Always Return

**Well, I got some reviews on chapter 10 right off the bat and I'm so glad that you all loved reading it as much as I did writing! Special thanks to demon alice – you make me laugh. Theflamingrose for your amazing ideas. Ferb O. Oche for stickin' with meh through every chapter and posting great reviews. NaginiFay for awesome reviews and being a great reader. Naruisawesome for being a good person and reading all of my things.**

**And most of all, a very special thanks to EVERYONE who reads and reviews! (even if you're not listed. I'm talking to you, dramalover10.) Your comments all help! (I'll start posting them on the chapters, including updating the old ones to have this feature.)**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 11: It Will Always Return…

_**(Song 6 –Tennenkyara wa go Aikyou recommended here)**_

Ayako whipped Monk on the back of the head with her purse.

"OWW! What is IN that thing?!"

"Oh, just a few rocks and some titanium." She laughed smugly. Masako covered her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono and giggled. Luella raised her lower lip as if to say 'Well then.' She repressed a giggle with her hand.

Naru stood where he was, his face still flushed. Mai simpered slightly and ran off to grab a new teacup to replace the one she broke moments earlier. Her eyes didn't break the gaze with the floor she walked on the entire time she was in the process. She filled the teacup with the brew in the kettle and sipped, looking at Naru's body language.

The man looked truly defeated; nobody could ever win a verbal battle with Luella Davis. The woman was loving and yet impossible to talk to.

Naru knew that by heart.

Speaking of Naru, he has a few secrets. _His mother said something about Oliver Davis earlier…_

_"Do you know Dr. Oliver Davis?" Monk broke the awkward silence._

_"Yes – he's rig-" Luella was interrupted._

_"__Mother."__Naru's voice was impatient and firm._

Mai's chocolate-coloured gaze slid down to her shoes. _If Naru's name really is Noll, how can he be Oliver Davis?_

_Or has he just been living a lie and gave himself a fake name to be Noll so that nobody could discover that he was one of the world's best parapsychological researchers? No…that can't be it. Naru would never lie._

…_Right?_

Naru looked over at his mother once again, finally seeming to be rid of his anger towards the woman's outbursts. "Now – what is it that you were saying about 'grandchildren?'"

"Yes. I said that I want grandchildren and the only thing I ever get out of you is that-"

"I understand _that_ part. I didn't understand _why _though. I'm seventeen, Mother."

"Yes, I know. It would be great for you to get a headstart on it, though!"

Mai spit her tea across the room, causing Naru to give her a deadly glare, although his eyes didn't narrow in a hateful way. It seemed to be a playful stare, almost as if he was taking none of her actions into consideration of being harmful. He continued to stare at her while his mother spoke about him and Mai, and also how their relationship was very awkward.

"…And you go on cases together only! There hasn't been a case this year yet where you haven't been with her and you're always close by eachother and it's just…"

_When will she _stop_? _Mai thought. _This is getting a little embarrassing…_

"Well, I've never heard a mother say that she _wanted_ her kids to do the nasty-"

**WHAM! **

Ayako's purse strikes again! "Next time, don't be so rude about it."

"Okay! I've never heard a mother say that she _wanted_ her kids to do anything…" He faltered when Ayako raised her purse again, but finished off a bit latently. "…Innapropriate..?"

Naru rolled his eyes at the sight of Monk and Ayako's dispute. Yasu sat on the single ottoman inbetween the two couches and the table, who raised his voice to say something. "Umm..Naru…I think it would be wise to do something else surrounding the case. I don't feel that it ended very well. I mean, Majin could very well still be out there."

Mai's thoughts about Luella and Naru skidded to an immediate halt. _I had never thought about that before… What if Majin _is_ still out there? It could be haunting something else by now!_

"Yeah! We have to see if that ship took Majin with it, or if it's still lurking somewhere! What if the thing found its way back to us again?!" Mai shouted out.

"Yeah – I mean, when sitebound spirits lose their location, where do they go?" Monk interjected.

Naru's famous thinking pose – a hand to his chin, other on the elbow – and silence following.

_**(Song 14 – Takigawa Houshou Mantra recommended here)**_

Naru cleared his throat, brow furrowed. "I had never really thought about that, actually…" He cracked open the black book he had taken from his pocket. Mai saw inside it, with a jolt, the corner of the photo with Naru and Eugene. "Spirits that are sitebound normally don't lose their point of location. Otherwise, I would have written this down. The only time this would ever happen is if they occupied a forest and it was cut down. Or like earlier, the ship sank. According to other research, if a spirit moves from one location or it is taken from them or renovated, they move on. In retrospect, Majin could be anywhere now."

Mai curled her hands into determined fists. _Wherever it is, I will hunt it down. That thing killed David. It tried to kill me and Masako. I don't care if it's a ghost. I can strangle the damn thing with my bare hands._

Luella chewed her lip for a bit before speaking again. "Do you want me to leave so you can finish with your case?" Her eyes twinkled.

"No, that's quite alright, you can-" Monk was interrupted by Naru.

"Yes, please." He glanced over at Mai, the same look he gave her when he called her into the hallway when they first met. "We have some business to take care of."

The woman cantered up to her son, giving him a bear hug and kissing him on the cheek. Naru's face was bloodred, and his mouth shaped a perfect, upside-down 'u'. Yasu sniggered slightly at the teen's embarrassment.

Luella said her goodbyes and left the office, Naru still standing in place, scratching a pen in his book. "First, we must do research on 'Majin'. Next, we'll see what we can do. But – for now – we have no leads whatsoever."

"Does that mean we should leave too? It only really takes one person to do research on something." Ayako piped up. _Especially if that person is an apparent 17-year-old narcissistic, egotistic prodigy._

"Fine enough. Go home and get a day off." The teen's inky-blue hair covered his eyes. No expression could be seen on his face from where the team – other than Mai – was standing. They all left the room except for Lin, giving a final glance to the room for a day. The door closed behind Masako, who was the last out. She looked over at Naru with pure hatred.

_**(Song 4 –Gakuen recommended here)**_

"Hey, Naru, I think you have a new nemesis."

He looked up, apparently finished writing his note. First glancing at the door and then Mai, he frowned slightly and didn't respond. He walked into his office, Lin following.

Mai stood in the kitchenette, still pondering about her first meeting with Luella.

_"Excuse me for asking, but – what's your name?" Masako spoke._

_"Oh, sorry! I'm Luella Davis." _

_The team remained silent for a moment, trying to figure out why Naru's last name was Shibuya and his mother's was Davis. _

_"Davis – as in Oliver Davis?" Mai stopped stirring tea. _

_"Yes. Why? What of it?" _

_Yes, that's it._ Mai thought._ Naru's last name is fake. But where did it come from? _She glanced outside the window of SPR, looking at the street below. Her eyes caught the sight of a sign outside, reading 'Welcome to Shibuya'. _I'm an idiot… _Mai let her face rest in both of her hands. _How could I never have noticed?!_

…_HOW DID EVERYONE ELSE NOT NOTICE?! THEY MUST BE AS STUPID AS I AM!_

_..Or at least some of them are… _

_Actually, no, it's just me. _

The door of Naru's office opened, revealing Lin, who spoke to Mai. "Are you coming in to help with the research?"

"OH! Yes! Sorry, Lin!" Mai rushed to the door and walked inside.

Wooden surfaces painted black covered most of Naru's office, if not glass and metals. A shiny laptop stood on his desk, alongside his black book that was now occupied by Naru. He handwrote information that was on a file on the computer in front of him. The potlights in the roof cast shadows down the sides of the room.

Lin closed the door behind Mai, pulling up a chair opposite Naru with Mai. He placed his hands on the desk in front of him, right over left. Tapping his fingers slightly, he spoke. "Where do we start?"

"I have already started." He murmured. "The page says here that, depending on the Kanji, Majin can have two different meanings. One is a devil or demon, and the other is a magical being. Like a magic genie or sorcerer."

"Well, the one that possessed David to steer into a iceberg ain't a 'magic genie.'" Mai exclaimed. Naru gave her a cold stare and continued.

_**(Song ? – Mabataki recommended here)**_

"It says here that Majin – the demon Kanji – is a relentless, malevolent spirit often referred to as the Devil. It has several minions, such as Lucifer, Mammon, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Beelzebub, Amon or Belphegor. They all represent different sins, such a lust, gluttony, wrath and pride. Apparently, the one that Majin stands for is the worst of all.

"And what would that be?" Lin asked.

Naru remained silent before closing his eyes and breathing deeply. "Murder."

Mai's eyes widened. "Murder..?"

"Yes. Majin is a very malicious entity. This is why I told everyone to be cautious on the ship after the first hour and seeing it for the first time." He stared into Mai's brown eyes. "I feel that this research is useless now, actually."

Lin's eyes roved up to where Naru held his gaze on Mai. "Why is that?"

"Even if we are able to track down Majin – which is highly unlikely – do you really think we'll be able to banish it? I don't believe so. Even if we manage to get close to it, Majin will always be out there, looking for its next host."

Mai's shoulders slumped down as if someone had placed a heavy weight on them. _So…David's death was for nothing. That child's death was for nothing. We sunk a ship._

_And for what?_

_This has never happened before. After all, Naru is always right._

_But… not this time. _

_This time, we failed to exorcise the haunted vessel for the client. Not to mention he isn't even _alive_ anymore. I wonder how Naru feels right now about this…_

_**(No music here)**_

Mai looked up at the man, who seemed to be lost in thought. He tapped the steel pen to his lips, creasing his brows. His lips thinned in concentration.

_Well, it doesn't seem that he's too happy about it, but still…_

Lin stood up, pushing his chair against the wall. He announced that he was going to make tea.

"That's okay, Lin! You don't have to - I'll do it!"

The man looked down at Mai, his eyes softening. "That's quite alright. You just stay here." He opened the office door and disappeared from sight.

The pen tapping stopped, replaced by a scratching sound. Naru was now writing in his book – or crossing something out. A large, black 'X' appeared over the information on the paragraph titled "A Haunting at Sea."

Mai remembered, with a jolt, that that was the title of the case Mai had just been on. He wrote something else quickly, seemingly illegible from Mai's angle.

A door closed quietly from behind Mai. Lin walked inside the room, carrying a tray with three teacups. One was Naru's, filled with Earl Grey tea. Mai's was next, green tea scent wafting from the cup. Lin placed the tray on the desk, away from Naru's laptop so as to not spill any tea on it. He wrapped his fingers through the handle of his cup, gingerly raising it to his mouth and sipping quietly.

Silence enveloped the room for a few minutes before Naru closed the lid of the laptop and stood. "It would be best to call it a day."

_**(Song 17 – Hyoukai recommended here)**_

Lin stood as well and nodded at his younger superior. Mai followed them out of the room with her empty teacup in hand. She placed the cup in the kitchenette sink, and sat down on the small ottoman that she so often occupied, Naru adjacent of her in his leather chair. Lin sat on the couch to the left of Mai, pulling out his own laptop from his bag beside the couch.

Something else that Mai had never noticed.

_Well, aren't I blind._

Mai was the first to break the silence. "So…No more work for today, then?"

"No, but I would appreciate it if you stayed here for a moment. You have to sign some paperwork first. It's in my office."

"What's it about?"

"David's death certificate."

"Oh…alright then." Mai walked slowly into the office, opening and closing the door quietly. She found what she knew was a death certificate on Naru's desk, something she had already signed before, when her mother passed away.

Mai's signature was written on the paper now. She, just out of curiosity, slid the black book of Naru's over so she could see it. Opening the book, Mai looked at the entry for "A Haunting at Sea."

Written beside the black 'X' was the word 'Sunken' ,sprawled messily upon the paper. Mai closed the book again when Naru walked in and sat down across from her.

"The paperwork's done." Mai murmured.

Naru nodded slightly, sitting further back in his chair. "You may go home now if you want to."

Mai skipped to the doorway. "Alright! I'll see you later!"

Naru held his breath for a moment. "…I'll call you at home or at school when I get a new case."

Mai's eyes softened. "Sure."

"Goodbye, Mai."

"Bye, Naru."

After saying her farewells to Lin and Naru, she walked outside to the deck of SPR, looking down at the street.

"_Even if we manage to get close to it, Majin will always be out there, looking for its next host…"_

**Last chapter done. Special thanks to Naruisawesome, theflamingrose, demon alice, Ferb O. Oche, NaginiFay, dramalover10, MusicalFox, Biffer, Lulucutie12, TheAllMightyDragonOfTheNorth, Lovenarumai, and SalteyJam.**

**And now, a BIG round of applause to EVERY ONE OF MY VIEWERS, even the ones that are unmentioned or unreviewing.**

**Thanks to everyone who gave me the great ideas for this awesome story, and I'll see you in the next Ghost Hunt Fanfic:**

**Falling to Pieces.**

**I'll see you all on the other side.**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	12. EXTRA: Dirty Little Bastard (9-10)

**Well, I couldn't just leave you all hanging on my story just yet, so… I'm putting up a new chapter! It's just an extra, something that happened inbetween two of the old ones that I felt needed to be in the story.**

**This extra is inbetween chapters 9 and 10.**

**Enjoy!**

**EXTRA (9-10):** Dirty Little Bastard

Mai stared at Naru for a while, noticing the way that he sat when he thought about Eugene. The man didn't raise his hand to his chin like he normally does when he thinks, he just cupped one in the other on his lap, knees slightly raised. He looked on the verge of tears.

_Well, isn't that something._

Something Mai had never seen before.

She sat beside Naru on his bed, not minding that he didn't want anybody to know that he actually cared about someone. That was just Naru, exactly how Mai knew him.

_I remember from school – Sempai once said that 'Those who don't care now once cared too much…'_

_I guess that's true - in Naru's case, anyway._

"Naru?" Mai's voice rose from the silence.

"Yes?" He replied quietly.

"You really loved your brother, didn't you?"

The teen in question stayed silent, pursing his lips for a moment. "…Yes…"

"How do you cope? I understand what…what a loss feels like, too. I mean, I live by myself now. My parents were my life." Mai's voice cracked. "And now they're gone."

Naru shifted and put a hand on Mai's lap, not caring how furiously she was blushing. "When I lost Eugene, Mai…"

He stopped to look in Mai's eyes.

"I lost the other half of my heart. And I'll never get it back."

Mai's heart skipped a beat. _Oh..._

Tears rolled slowly down her pink face."Naru, I'm really sorry…"

"It's okay, Mai. You don't have to be." He smiled faintly, staring at his lap, almost as if he were shamed.

_He's ashamed of me seeing him cry._

Mai shifted her body so she could look up into Naru's pale face, bent forward a little bit. "Just let the tears fall, Naru. I know you want them to. And… sometimes… crying lifts a weight off of your shoulders. You know what I mean?" She spoke softly.

Naru scowled a little bit and scooted slowly over to the right, away from Mai. He looked away from her, fearing that if she saw him cry, she would forget the way he normally is.

The way he normally _was._

Ever since he kissed her, they had become closer.

Not by much, but just a little bit.

"I can't just cry, Mai. It's not that simple." Naru muttered.

"Yeah, for you anyway… stupid, narcissistic bastard…" She cursed under her breath.

"What was that?" Naru's head snapped sideways to meet her gaze.

Mai waved her hands airily in the space between them. "OH – it was nothing! I didn't say anything!"

Naru smirked and looked down at his shoes. "I… would appreciate it if you left… for a moment."

Mai blinked twice, then stood up. "Oh, okay."

Mai went out into the hotel's hallway. She stood by the door, curling her hair in her fingers. _He told me to leave for a moment. Only for a moment..?_

_Can he not resist being near me for a long time?_

Mai leaned against the door, wanting to know what Naru was doing, but didn't want to hear him if he actually cried.

_Huh. Naru crying. That would sound kind of weird, considering he never smiles or cries, the plain jerk. And even if he did cry, what would it sound like..?_

_A sad sighing, then strangling sounds… And maybe a sniff or two… Possibly a cry of anguish or frustration…_

_Oh – yeah! Like that!_

Mai listened to a pitying sound from inside the hotel room. Naru was _actually_ crying. But what for? Other than Eugene anyway…

"_I lost the other half of my heart. And I'll never get it back."_

Mai shuddered at the remembrance of Naru's words. _If the guy really cared about anything, why would he be hiding it for so long?The only person he would ever care about would be…_

_Me…_

Mai slid down the door, her knees close to her face. She wrapped her arms around them, feeling a rush of anguish. _Wow… he cares about me… but what about everyone else? I mean – it was obvious that he thought about everyone else all of the time, but… Me? No!_

_But…_

_He saved me from falling when the ship capsized…_

_He told me that I wasn't stupid and that everything mean he told me was a joke or a lie…_

_He comforted me when we fell down the well together…_

_He brought me tea when I had nightmares. He just…_

_Loved me…_

Mai felt a warmth spread from her heart to her fingertips. She had found confidence in her deep thoughts and grabbed the doorknob to the room. Silence was the only thing heard from the room now, and she walked in, feeling it was safe to come in.

Naru swiveled around slowly to see her, his eyes red. He met her gaze for a moment, then looked down at his shoes again as if he didn't wish to speak to her. Mai sat beside him, placing a gentle hand on the man's shoulder.

He recoiled at the feeling, but succumbed and turned slowly to face her. His eyes were bloodshot, evidence of fatigue or tears once haunting the very place. Naru looked slowly into her face, seemingly for a lifetime.

Seconds passed by, and Naru looked like he were expecting something…

He wanted something…

He leaned close into Mai's face, cocking it as if he wanted a kiss from her. Mai widened her eyes and looked at his lips, then back up into his eyes. His mouth opened very slowly, almost as if he were about to go for it.

Very quietly, he curled his finger around a strand of Mai's hair and tucked it away behind her ear. His head moved to the same place, and he whispered.

"You know what I want, Mai."

Mai blushed furiously red, no trace of her paler colour left. "And…what-what is t-that?"

"…Tea."

Mai stood quickly, raising her hand as if to slap the man in front of her. "YOU NARCISSISTIC BASTARD!"

She trudged over to the hotel room's kitchenette, fuming mad. She turned around to see Naru while stirring the teabag in Naru's cup, watching as a large smirk danced across his elegant face.

She turned around to face the counter.

_He just…loved me._

Mai shook her head in confusion.

_Does he?_

_I can't even tell anymore!_

**Oh my god I loved that so much! Leave a review on what you thought about their little 'moment' and have a good weekend, everybuhdaaay!**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


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